Telephone instrument



Patented Dec. 19, 1939 .l l UNET srArEs ATVENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

The general object of the present invention is to provide improvementsin telephone apparatus. A specific and important object of the inventionisto provide a portable telephone apparatus unit 5" adapted for use inlieu of, and to serve the purposes of the ordinary or standard so-calledFrench telephone subscribers set including a dialing mechanism throughwhich the user me:

, chanically calls the number wanted. Thesaid ordinary or standard set,as is well proven, comprises a weighted base member and a separate armor part. The latter carries at one end a transmitter and a receiver atits other .end,

and is connected to the base member by a cord or flexible cableincluding the conductors connecting the receiver and transmitter toterminals within the base member which is connected bya separate cord orcable to the line wires and bell box, the latter being independentlymounted onv a desk, wall baseboard, or other convenient support. Thebase member of such a set has mounted in it the dial mechanism and themain telephone switch mechanism. The latter includes a verticallymovable switch operating, member formed at its upper end with acradle-like support on which the above mentioned arm issupported when.the telephone is not in use, the weight of the arm then holding theswitch in one of its two operating positions against the action of aspring which moves the switch into the second of its operating positionswhen the-arm is lifted off the base.

' For the attainment of the above mentioned specific object of myinvention, I preferably employ a single hollow supporting partcomprisingan arm portion in which the receiver and trans,-

mitter are mounted as in the arm part of the standard set, andcomprising a second portion rigidly, and preferably integrally,connected with 0* the arm portion in which the dialing mechanism andmain telephone switch are mounted, and

adapted to rest on a desk or table when the telephone is not in use andto be lifted off that support and held in the hand of the operator whenthe telephone is in use.

Advantageously, the main telephone switch of my improved unit comprisesa vertical movable switch operating member having a portion whichisspring pressed outwardly from the desk engaging or normally bottomside of the base portion when the instrument is lifted off the table orsupport but is retracted into the base portion by theweight of the unitwhen the latter rests on a,

table. The switch of my unit is thus automatical- 1V moved between itstwo operating positions when the-unit is picked up for use and afterbeing used is put back on its support, exactly as the switch of thestandard set is operated when the arm is'lifted oiii of, and returnedinto engagement with the cradle support of the separate base member ofthe standard set.

My improved unit, having the above described characteristics, requiresless material and weight, and-is inherently less expensive tomanufacture than the standard two part set, and possesses an importantpractical operating advantage over the standard set in respect to thedialing operation. The saving in weight obtainable with the presentinvention is primarily due to the fact that the base member of thestandard set is made a heavier than would otherwise be necessary, so asto weight the base member and thereby minimize its tendency to skid orslide around on the desk or other supporting surface, under the forceapplied to it in the dialing operation. In ordinary 20 praetica'however,as is well known, the weight of thebase member of the standard set,while substantial, is insuflicient to prevent objectionable slidingmovement of the base, even when the latter is provided with the mostapproved anti-, 25 skidding material toincrease the frictional actionbetween the base on the table or other support onwhich it rests. In theordinary use of the standard set, it is frequent and indeed usual,rather than unusual, for the user to lift the arm 30 off the base andlay it down during the dialing operationso that the base member may thenbe held stationary with one hand while the dial is manipulated by afinger of the other hand. With. my inventionno otherwise unnecessaryweight is. 35 required to facilitate the dialing operation, which may bequickly and easily effected while. thesingle supporting member of theunit is held in the .users' hand by which the unit is, or may be heldduring the subsequent telephonic conversa- 40 tion.

The dialing mechanism may be mounted in or on my unitary support invariousways. In they form now preferred by me, the dialing mechanism iswholly received within the base portion 45 of thesupport with the dialadjacent but somewhat above the desk or table engaging surfaceso-fthe-support so that the unit'will normally be inverted, wholly orpartially, by the user during-- the dialing operation. operation ormovement of the user other than a turn of the hand holding the support.The receiver, transmitter, and dialing instrumentalities mounted in theunitary support of my improved unit, may be identical with those nowemployed in- 55 This requires no extra the two part standard set. Asecond important specific object of the present invention is to providea portable unit which not only includes receiver, transmitting anddialing elements, but also includes the instrumentalities required forthe performance of the signalling mechanism mounted in or on the usualbell box separate from, but associated with the above mentioned standardtwo piece set. In the preferred form of my present invention thesignalling instrumentalities are mounted in the base portion of myimproved unit and their weight gives additional stability to the unitwhen resting on a table but need not be great enough to interfere withthe ready portability of the unit.

Advantageously, I may provide my unit in some cases, with a switchcontroller manually adjustable at will into one or another of threeoperative positions. When the controller is in one or another of two ofthose positions, the main switch is locked in one or the other of itstwo operative positions. In the third position of the controller, themain switch is free to move between its two operative positions just asit would be if the switch controller were omitted.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention,however, its advantages, and specific objects attained with its use,reference should be had to the accompanying drawing and descriptivematter in which I have illustrated and described a preferred embodimentof the invention.

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the unit partly broken away and in section;and

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the unit with a portion of theremovable bottom wall of the unit broken away.

In the preferred form of the invention shown in the drawing, the unitsupport A of my improved unit comprises an arm portion projecting awayfrom an enlarged base portion A adapted to rest on a desk, table orother support when the unit is not in use, the arm portion thenextending upwardly from the base portion. The latter is suitablyextended to give the unit adequate stability against being accidentallyknocked over when resting on a desk or table, and also to provide achamber space B in the base suitably large for the convenient mountingtherein of the main switch D and its actuating mechanism, the actuatingand controlling mechanism for the switch D, and the dialing mechanism Eincluding a dialing switch C. The transmitter F is mounted in theportion of the support in which the arm and base portions merge into oneanother, and the receiver G is mounted at the free end of the armportion of the support. As shown, the relative position of thetransmitter and receiving units is precisely the same as in the arm ofthe standard two part set, and the outline of the base portion at itsdesk or table engaging side is identical with that of the correspondingside of the base member of the standard two part set. The main switch D,and the dialing mechanism and transmitter and receiver units, E, F, andG, may be of any known or suitable form, and in particular they may beand are shown as identical with the corresponding parts of the standardtwo part set.

The automatic actuating means for the main switch D may also be and asshown is identical in principle with the main switch operating mechanismof the standard two part set. As shown in the drawing, the main switchactuating mechanism comprises a vertically disposed and verticallymovable plunger H mounted in a supporting bracket 71. and carrying anarm H which supports a disc H of insulating material adapted to engage aflexible spring blade part D' of the switch D, when the plunger H isretracted into the chamber B, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1. Theplunger is so retracted in the normal nonuse condition of the apparatus,as a result of the engagement of a foot portion H of the plungerengaging the table or support and the weight of the unit which isadequate to then compress the spring H acting on the plunger H andmoving the latter into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, whenthe unit is lifted ofl of the surface by which it is supported duringconditions of non-use. The bracket it may be suitably connected directlyto some integral post or projection of the part A extending into thechamber space B,.but as shown, the bracket 71. is screw connected to aremovable bottom plate part I detachably connected to the part A andextending across and closing the side of the chamber B which islowermost in the position of the apparatus shown in Fig. l. The bottommember I may be removably secured to the part A in any suitable manneras by means of clamping screws threaded into suitably disposed posts orlug portions A of the part A extending into the chamber B. As shown, thebottom member I is formed at its inner side with a cylindrical guideflange I for the flange head H surrounding the aperture through whichthe head is projected under the action of the spring H when permitted soto do. As shown, the revolvable dial member E which formed with theusual finger apertures E is mounted for rotation about an axis which isvertical in the position of the unit shown in Fig. l, and the member Eis parallel and adjacent to, but at the inner side of the plate memberI, and in register with an aperture I formed in the latter to permitaccess to the member E for finger actuation of the latter in the usualmanner. As shown, the member I is formed with a cylindrical flange I atits inner side surrounding the opening I and telescopically receivingthe cylindrical casing body of the dial mechanism E. As shown, thatcasing body is detachably secured by screws to a connecting ring membere, and the latter is detachably connected by screws 6 to projections Afrom the unitary supporting part A, which are suitably disposed in thespace E.

The dialing mechanism E may include the usual gear connection betweenthe dial member E and the usual rotative speed governor and dial switchactuator, but inasmuch as the dialing mechanism, as well as thetransmitting and receiving units F and G and the main switch D, may belike, and, in fact, may be interchangeable with the corresponding partsof the standard two piece set now in general use, further description orillustration of those parts is plainly unnecessary herein. The member Ais formed with a suitably bushed aperture A for the entrance into thechamber B of the cord or cable K through which the unitis connected tothe telephone line. L represents the cord or cable including the cableconductors connecting terminals within the chamber B to the receiver andtransmitter units.

The switch controller, which may advantageously be employed in somecases in my improved unit, is shown as including a lever M journalled ona pivot M supported by the bracket h. 7U.

. positions.

at its outer end with a button M for fingermanipulation by the user.Adjacent its outer end, but, within the chamber B, the plunger M isprovided with a cross pinM the ends of which areadapted to. entervertically displaced notches A7,.A and A9, which are provided at themargin ofsxthe. aperture A to thereby lock the switch. lever'in one oranother of its three operative A compression spring M surrounding: theplunger M and acting between the pin Mtand the body portion of the leverM, tends tohold the pin Mf inany of the notches, A A

A9, receiving the pin. When the pin M is receivedin thenotches A", thebracket H is depressed by the lever M and the switch D is therebylockedin the position in, which the receiver andtransmitter are connected, sothat conversation. may becarried on. even though the unit resti-ngon adesk in such a position that the retraction of the plunger H wouldotherwise prevent such use of the apparatus. When the pin M is received.in the notches A thelever M engages a pin I-Psprojecting from theplunger H and thereby holds the plunger H in its retracted posi-' tionso that the switchmechanism D is in'the condition rendering the unitinoperative for use in conversation, but leaving the signal circuit inoperative condition, regardless of whether the unit is then resting on adesk in its normal position or is held in the hand of the user. In theintermediate position of the unit, in which the pin is received innotches'A the switch D is operated by the movements of the plunger Hjust .as it would be if the controller lever M were omitted, as may bethe case when its operative capacity is not needed or desired.

Except in respect to the conductors and'terminals within the chamber,and the fact that the cable K will include three conductors in the onecase and need include but two conductors in the other, in the cable Kthe apparatus parts and arrangement already described in detail, areuseful alike in a unit associated with signalling mechanism mounted inor on the external bell box customarily employed with a standard twopiece French telephone set, and in a unit which includes the signallinginstrumentalities as does the unit shown in the drawing. As shown in thedrawing, the signalling instrumentalities comprise a signalling element0, an induction coil or element P, and a condenser Q. The signallingelement may be an ordinary electromagnetic bell, but I consider itordinarily preferable to employ for the purpose a so-calledelectro-magnetic buzzer such as is frequently, though not most usuallyemployed as a telephone signalling device. The induction and condenserunits P and Q may be constructed like the corresponding elements'of theordinary telephone signal mechanism, but may be specially designed toeconomize weight and bulk and to facilitate their disposition in theavailable space within the chamber B.

While the elements 0, P, and Q may be located in various positionswithin the support of my improved unit, and one or more of thoseelements may be'located wholly or partly within the hollow arm portionof the support, I now prefer to arrange the elements as shown, withinthe chamber B and adjacent the bottom plate I, so as to lower the centerof gravity of the unit and. augment its stability against accidentalover turning when resting on 'a table or desk. As shown, each of theunits 0, P, and Q is formed with bracket ears or extensions 0', P, andQ, respectively, apertured for screws for detachably connecting theunits to the bottom member I.

In. respect to the electrical connections included the unit, the usualpractice of the art may be followed, and hence there isno need forillustrating: or describing those connections herein. The connectionsare indicated diagrammatically, however, in the drawing, Fig. 2 ofwhich, shows terminals I, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 8, 9, and lil provided inthe. base member of the standard two piece set, the terminals G-lGinclusive shown in dotted. lines being those directly associated withthe dialingswitch C. In the arrangement the cable K entering the unitincludes but two conductors, but when the signaling instrumentalitiesare external.v tocthe .unit, the cable K will include three conductors,two of which will correspond to those shown in Fig. 2 as connected tothe terminals 2 and 3, respectively, while the third will correspond tothe conductor shown in Fig. 2. as connecting one terminal of theinductance element P to the terminal I.

With the signaling instrumentalities mounted in the unit as. shown, theweight of the latter is necessarily greater than when the unit does notinclude. those instrumentalities, but need not bev great enough to:inconvenience the user hold.-. ing the unit in one hand, as the armincluding the transmitting and receiving elements of the standard twopiece set is customarily held when the telephone is in use. Furthermore,the unit can be used while resting on a desk or table under conditionspermitting use of the now oldfashioned telephone set with the member ofthe latter including the transmitter and dialing mechanism resting on adesk or table.

The advantages possessed by my improved unit in either form described,in respect to apparatus compactness and lightness of weight, and thepossibility of decreased production and installation costs, over thetelephone apparatus now in common use, will be apparent to those skilledin the art; As has been previously pointed out, in respect to thedialing operation, my improved unit possesses an important practicaladvantage over the standard two piece French telephone set now in wideuse.

While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes, I haveillustrated and described the best form of embodiment of my inventionnow known to me, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatchanges may be made in the form of the apparatus disclosed withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appendedclaims, and that in some cases certain features of my invention may beused to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is: I

1. A telephone instrument comprising a supporting member adapted to beheld in the hand of the user when in use and to rest upon a supportingsurface when not in use, a transmitter, a receiver, dialing switchmechanism and a switch supported by said supporting member, said switchbeing biased for adjustment of the instrument into its conversationcondition and including an operating member adapted to en-' gage asupporting surface on which said supporting member rests and be therebyactuated to adjust said instrument into signalling condition, 5 andmeans manually operable to render said operating member inoperative toadjust said instrument out of condition for conversation when saidsupporting member rests on said surface.

2. A telephone instrument comprising a supporting member adapted to beheld in the hand of the user when in use and to rest upon a supportingsurface when not in use, and a transmitter, a receiver, a dialing switchmechanism, and a switch supported by said supporting memher, said switchbeing biased for adjustment of the instrument into its conversationcondition and including an operating member adapted to engage asupporting surface on which said supporting member is placed and bethereby actu- 5 ated to adjust said instrument into its signallingcondition, and switch controlling means manually operable to maintainsaid instrument in either of its said conditions.

3. A telephone instrument comprising a supporting member adapted to beheld in the hand of the user when in use and to rest upon a supportingsurface when not in use, and including a hollow base portion with abottom wall formed with an aperture adjacent said surface when saidsupporting member is resting on the latter,

a transmitter, a receiver, dialing switch mechanism supported by saidmember, said dialing mechanism being mounted in said base portion andincluding a dialing member manually op erable through said aperture whensaid supporting member is held in the hand of the user, and a switchincluding an operating member extending through said bottom wall at oneside of said dialing member and operable for adjustment of theinstrument between its signalling and conversation conditions.

4. A telephone instrument comprising a supporting member adapted to beheld in the hand of the user when in use and to rest upon a supportingsurface when not in use, and including a hollow base portion with aremovable bottom wall formed with an aperture, a transmitter, areceiver, a dialing switch mechanism, a switch supported by saidsupporting member and biased for adjustment of the instrument into itsconversation condition and including an operating member adapted toengage a supporting surface on which said supporting surface memberrests and to be thereby actuated to adjust said instrument into itssignalling condition, and a signalling mechanism supported by saidmember, said dialing mechanism being mounted in said base portion andincluding a dialing member accessible for manual operation through saidaperture when said supporting member is held in the hand of the user,and a portion, at least, of said signalling mechanism being locatedwithin said hollow base portion and directly supported by the removablebottom wall thereof.

JESSE P. HUBBELL.

